Yesterday, I went with a manfriend to check out an air conditioning unit he was thinking of purchasing off of some girl from Craigslist. He has had many good experiences using the site, though I myself have not been so lucky. I did find my current job through a Craigslist posting but the only other time I responded to an ad…well, it didn’t exactly turn out how I wanted. Nonetheless, we had high hopes for the ac unit.

And we were not disappointed. The girl let us in her place and there was stuff everywhere. Apparently she and her roommate are moving out of state at the end of the week and they don’t want to take a thing with them. So there were books, movies, jewelry, accessories, cookware, furniture, electronics and more, just sitting around with post-its denoting price. It was an urban yard sale, and I was thrilled. As my friend discussed the air conditioner, I perused the goods. Before long I saw a wool winter coat that was pretty much begging to come home with me. I’m not that easy so I tried it on, and it fit perfectly. The girl selling it said her mom had given it to her but she was too short to wear it. The post-it price was $10 and so I bought it without hesitation. It looked like it had hardly been worn, and I danced happily out of the apartment.

Here’s a picture of the coat – and yes, I know the work closet backdrop could be a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but it was the best I could do at the moment. I also know it doesn’t look super special. It’s a well-fitting, practical coat and that is fine by me. However, when I got into the elevator yesterday with my friend (who appeared to be equally satisfied with his ac unit), I noticed the price tag was still attached to the lining. That alone made me happy, because it meant it was brand new. Then I read the price tag. Now, if you’re lucky enough to be Facebook friends with me you might already know how this turns out, but I’m going to say it again. The tag read $1300.00. I almost fell down when I saw that. If my mom bought me anything at that price and then I sold it (brand spanking new) for 130% less…well, I can only imagine how the earth would open up and swallow me, and how my mom would watch and laugh. The only things I’ve ever spent that much money on were plane tickets abroad, cars and tuition. In fact, I once bought a car for $500 less than what this coat retailed for. I briefly debated reselling it and trying to turn a tidy profit, but damn it, I like it and I want to keep it. Also, it’s not a recognizable brand and after some googling I discovered it’s from some fancy store in China. I doubt I would find many people on this side of the ocean that would pay anywhere near what the price tag said, so that idea went out the window. I took the coat-worth-more-than-two-months-of-my-rent and moseyed on home. For once, I was actually happy it was cold enough this morning that I needed an extra layer on my early commute. I must admit I think the new coat is pretty awesome, and it makes me feel like thirteen hundred bucks.